Like usual, D.C. United must go through a tough Mexican team to advance to the finals of the CONCACAF Champions’ Cup.
In this year’s tournament, United faces powerhouse Pachuca CF in the semifinals in the Mexican state of Hidalgo.
“It’s an enormous game,” United coach Tom Soehn said. “When we addressed our team in the offseason we placed a high priority on these tournaments.”
In 2005 United lost to another Mexican team, Pumas, 5-0 in the semifinals after a 1-1 tie at RFK Stadium, and last year the club fell 2-1 at Chivas Guadalajara after a 1-1 home tie. United has never won a game in Mexico.
However, a number of things are in United’s favor this year, notably that the first game of the two-game series is on the road.
“We have the advantage of playing the second game at home, so we know what we have to do,” said Soehn, who saw his team fall 2-0 in the season opener at the Kansas City Wizards on Saturday.
Pachuca, Mexico’s oldest club, has won five titles in the last two years, including last’s year inaugural SuperLiga over the Los Angeles Galaxy, the 2007 Champions’ Cup and the 2006 Copa Sudamericana.
“We will have an edge at RFK if we can come away with something from there,” defender Bryan Namoff said. “It would speak volumes for our team. Back at RFK we would have a little leeway with our fans behind us and the confidence at playing at home.”
Another factor helping United is its experienced international roster with players like Argentine Marcelo Gallardo.
“He’s a guy we can go to give us the competitive edge,” Namoff said.
After earning a 1-1 draw at Harbour View (Jamaica) in the quarterfinal round and winning the second game at RFK 5-0, United is confident going into tonight’s match.
“We’ve got to go down there and get some sort of result — at least a tie,” defender Marc Burch said. “I think we can do the rest at home.”
If United does advance, it will play the winner of the Houston Dynamo-Deportivo Saprissa (Costa Rica) series in the championship round.
The tournament has taken on greater significance since United won the event in 1998. The winner of the Cup claims the title of the best team in the North and Central America and the Caribbean region and advances to play in the FIFA Club World Cup in Japan in December.
Today’s game
D.C. United AT Pachuca CF
When: 10 p.m.
Where: Hidalgo, Mexico
TV/radio: Fox Soccer, AM-1050, AM-1540
Outlook: Like usual, D.C. United must go through a tough Mexican team to advance to the finals of the CONCACAF Champions’ Cup. In this year’s tournament, United faces powerhouse Pachuca CF in the semifinals in Mexico, where United has never won a game. United coach Tom Soehn called it “an enormous game,” and players said playing the first of the two-game series on the road will provide an edge in the matchup when United returns to the District. In 2005, United lost to another Mexican team, Pumas, 5-0 in the semifinals after a 1-1 tie at RFK Stadium, and last year the club fell 2-1 at Chivas Guadalajara after a 1-1 home tie.
— John Haydon
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